Dunamaise lays on sparkling schedule for Laois this Christmas and New Year

New programme of festive events at the Arts Centre in Portlaoise

Dunamaise Arts Centre is delighted to bring a sparkle to life in Laois with a fantastic array of events in the run up to Christmas and beyond.

The heart-warming assortment of events ranging from wonderful children’s events to outstanding theatre, music, film, visual art will be just the ticket for all to get back to enjoying live events in a safe and comfortable setting during the festive season and beyond, with planned events right up to April 2022.

Audiences will also be pleased to know that the arts centre are currently preparing for tickets to go on sale for Portlaoise Panto Group’s eagerly awaited Rapunzel and the Winning Lotto Ticket, on Wednesday, December 8 at 10am.

The first of the Christmas events will be kicked off with the ever popular ABBA Forever - The Christmas Show who return to Portlaoise on Wednesday 1st December and create the ultimate sing-a-long. A 10-year commemoration of the award-winning theatre show Fight Night, starring Aonghus Óg McAnally on Thursday, December 2 is a fast-paced and engaging solo performance that combines intense physicality with a classic Dublin wit in a storytelling experience that will leave audiences both exhausted and exhilarated.

Radio presenter Keith Walsh takes to the stage on Tuesday, December 2 in Pure Mental - a live theatre show put together with the help of acclaimed performer, writer and director Janet Moran (A Holy Show, Swing and My Romantic History) in the strangest of Covid times - sometimes working in different rooms, often in different counties. You will laugh, you might cry, the voices in my head are telling me that you might want to throw rotten fruit at me? Is that still a thing? In the end we'll all feel a lot better. I hope”, says Keith Walsh.

As a special Christmas Cracker offer, Dunamaise Arts Centre are delighted to offer theatre audiences the chance to enjoy both Fight Night and Pure Mental with a 2 for 1 offer on tickets (*one ticket for each show. Book through Box Office only).

The Lost Messiahs play their eagerly awaited gig in Dunamaise on Saturday, December 4. This much anticipated gig, having been postponed due to previous restrictions, will coincide with the release of their second single ‘Wounded Pride’ from their upcoming album of original music. On the same night, Dunamaise Arts Centre are also proud to be the host ticket agent for Carols by Candlelight, a carols show being performed by Portlaoise Musical Society at St. Peter & Pauls Church which is raising funds for St. Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal.

On Friday, December 10, you are invited to enjoy the festive spirit with the spectacular A Christmas Salute to the Crooners, a show which sees Dave Lawlor, one of Ireland’s greatest singers pay tribute to the songs of Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams, Matt Monro, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, Elvis Presley, Engelbert Humperdinck, Perry Como and Dean Martin. Witness the crooner classics come to life with Dave’s velvet voice accompanied by the fabulous portrayal of images of all the artists on a large circular screen.

Films will also warm the spirit this festive season with the ever popular and hilarious Elf on Wednesday, December 15 and the ultimate Christmas classic that is a true masterpiece of cinema in It’s a Wonderful Life on Wednesday 22nd December.

In the New Year, families can look forward to a spectacular array of live performances from the likes of Bosco, Portlaoise Panto, Declan Nerney, Cliodhna Hagan, The Celtic Tenors, Sean Keane, The American Country Show, Farmer Michael, Dirty Dusting, the Nashville Songbook featuring Robert Mizell, Oliver Callan, Declan O’Rourke and much more!